Rest in Peace Little Genius
by AdrianaCartoonFangirl
Summary: A tragic accident changes the lives of the Louds...and takes away the life of one specific Loud. Takes place during the episode Mad Scientist, so I recommend watching that first.
1. Bad News

**Tuesday, April 17 2018**

It started out as a normal Tuesday afternoon in the Loud house. However, this normal day would soon come crashing down with horrible news that would change the Loud family's lives forever.

It started out with Lincoln walking down the stairs getting ready to watch TV, since it was his TV time. A few of his sisters were also in the living room. Lynn was kicking around a soccer ball as usual, Lori and Leni were taking selfies, Luna was fixing a snack for the twins in the kitchen, Luan was fiddling with Mr. Coconuts in the dining room, and Lucy was sitting next to the fireplace reading one of her vampire novels.

As Lincoln settled onto the couch with the remote in hand, he starts talking to the readers, "You may be wondering why there aren't any crazy explosions in the middle of this chaos. Well that's because Lisa is at the Royal Woods Science Institute."

"I know what you're thinking," Lincoln continues, " _Isn't Lisa a little young to be so far away from home?_ Yes, you're correct; but she insisted that working at a legitimate science institute satisfies her desire for scientific pursuit."

"My parents had to be the brains of the house now that Lisa's not here. It's been tough, but they've handled it fine. On the bright side, hopefully she'll be coming home soon," Lincoln finally finishes his explanation.

Lincoln turns the TV to ARGGH! Unfortunately, just after the opening credits, the show was interrupted by a news broadcast. The logo for Royal Woods News and the words "Breaking News" in the big, bold, white letters showed up on the screen.

Lincoln looked at the screen very perplexed. Normally the news doesn't interrupt regular programming unless it's an Amber Alert. Then again, this was _breaking_ news as opposed to regular news; so it must be very serious.

"You guys, it's breaking news!" Lincoln called out.

As the Louds begin to assemble towards the living room, Lincoln turned to the readers again, "We always watch breaking news, especially if it's in or near Royal Woods."

The Loud kids all sit down on the couch while Rita and Lynn Sr stand behind it; with Rita holding Lily in her arms.

The TV showed the main news anchor, named Tucker, sitting at his desk at the news station, "We have breaking news in Royal Woods," He announces, "A fire has broken out at the Royal Woods Science Institute."

"(Gasp) That's where Lisa is! Turn it up!" Lynn Sr gasps frantically. Lincoln instantly obeys and turns the volume on the TV as high as they can take it.

The news footage shows a building on a side of a cliff. The building is completely engulfed in red and orange flames; with small orange sparks and thick gray smoke rising towards the sky. A total of five red and white helicopters from the Detroit, Michigan fire department surround the building and spray it with water to hopefully extinguish the fire. The reason why the Detroit fire department had to be called instead of the Royal Woods fire department is because only the Detroit fire department had helicopters.

As the news footage continues, News Man Tucker explains what's going on, "As you can see, the Detroit fire department are working very hard to extinguish the fire. As for the victims, they are currently being rushed to the Royal Woods Hospital via flight paramedics. We now go to the hospital to get an update."

The footage then cuts to the female news reporter that has brown hair and wears yellow. She is standing outside the hospital; several feet away from it. Three blue and white paramedic helicopters have landed.

"Tucker, I'm here at the Royal Woods Hospital where the flight paramedics have just rescued the victims of the fire," the female news reporter says.

She walks up to a woman with short red hair, glasses, and wearing a white lab coat that's covered in ash and soot. This is Dr. J, the head of the science institute.

"So Dr. J," the female news reporter says, "Can you tell me exactly what happened?" She puts the microphone to Dr. J.

"Well, I smelled smoke coming from one of our research laboratories," Dr. J recalls the events leading up to this disaster, "I opened the doors and saw the room was set ablaze. I'm not entirely sure, but I think a probable cause might have been hazardous chemicals coming in contact with flammable materials."

"I was able to call the fire department as soon as I could," Dr. J continues, "But there is one particular colleague I'm worried about; a young child by the name of Lisa Loud."

All the Louds look at the TV with concern at the mention of Lisa's name. Of course they continued to watch and listen carefully.

The female news reporter places her right hand on her right earpiece, "Hold on, I'm getting an update from one of the paramedics. It seems that an EMT working on helicopter number 502 is transferring Lisa Loud. However, the EMT says that she is having trouble breathing; but they are doing the best they can to provide oxygen for her. Back to you Tucker."

The footage cuts away and goes back to News Man Tucker sitting at the news station. He has a saddened and disturbed look on his face, "We at Royal Woods News will keep the people from the science institute in our thoughts. Until we get an update, we now return to your regularly scheduled programming."

Before ARGGH! can come back on, the TV gets shut off. Many of the Louds stare at the blank TV; stunned.

Lynn Sr starts to panic, "Did you hear that?!" He turns to Rita, "We have to go to the hospital! She could be hurt!"

Lori gets up from the couch and faces her father, "Dad, we should all go!"

Lynn Sr furrowed his brow, "I don't think you kids should go. We don't know the kind of condition she's in."

" _Dad!_ " Lori starts to argue, "Lisa is our little sister! We should go and see her regardless of her condition! Besides, don't you think she'd want to see us too?"

"She's got a point honey," Rita tells Lynn Sr, "Maybe when Lisa sees everyone, it'll raise her spirits up."

Rita looks down at Lily and starts to wonder whether or not they should take her with them.

"I don't think we should take Lily with us. If Lisa really is hurt, especially since she was rescued from a...f-i-r-e, then I think it'll be a little too much for her to take," Rita sighs.

Lynn Sr places his index finger on his chin, "So what should we do?" He asks.

Lincoln gets an idea, "Maybe Clyde and his dads can watch her," He suggests.

"Fine; but we've gotta hurry!" Lynn Sr urged.

As everyone filed out the door and headed towards Vanzilla, Lincoln rushed upstairs to grab Lily's diaper bag. Once he did, he ran out of the house and got inside the van just as Rita was strapping Lily into her carseat.

* * *

Lynn Sr drives Vanzilla towards the McBride house as carefully as possible so as not to alarm his youngest daughter. Once the Louds pull up in front of the McBrides, Lincoln slings Lily's diaper bag over his shoulder and exits the van. Lana unbuckles Lily from her carseat and opens her door. She hands the baby to Lincoln and he carries her into the McBride house.

"You're gonna stay with Clyde for a while, Ok?" Lincoln tells Lily gently.

Not quite understanding what's going on or why, Lily just silently stares at Lincoln as he carries her to the McBride front door.

Lincoln rings the doorbell of the McBride house. As he waits patiently for someone to answer, he anxiously taps his foot. Finally, 5 seconds later, Clyde answers.

"Hi Lincoln," Clyde greets. He looks down at Lily and wiggles his index finger, "Hi Lily."

"Yeah, hi buddy," Lincoln steps inside the house, leaving Clyde perplexed.

Lincoln looks at Howard and Harold, who are sitting on the dining table drinking coffee and reading a newspaper.

"Hi Lincoln," Howard greets him.

"Hi Mr. McBride, hi Mr. McBride," Lincoln greets back, "Listen, can you please do me a favor?"

Clyde walks towards Lincoln and stands in front of him so he can know what's going on.

"Sure Lincoln, what is it?" Harold wonders.

Lincoln holds Lily out in front of him, "Can you guys please watch Lily for a while?" He pleads.

As Lily reaches her hand towards Clyde and giggles, Howard and Harold look at each other. Then they get up and walk towards Lincoln.

"May I ask why?" Howard questions.

"Well...my little sister Lisa is in the hospital and we have to go check on her. My parents say it's best if Lily doesn't go with," Lincoln explains.

Clyde and his dads' eyes widen; with Clyde and Howard giving a small gasp.

Clyde shakes his head to mask his worry and takes Lily from Lincoln. After he does, Lincoln removes Lily's diaper bag from his shoulder and places it on the floor.

"We'll watch your little sister for you," Harold steps in.

"Oh thank you. I appreciate it," Lincoln sighs in relief.

Lincoln turns towards the front door and rushes out of the house. Once he leaves the house, he gets inside Vanzilla.

* * *

Lynn Sr starts to slightly speed down the street to make it to the hospital on time. However, Rita tries to make him slow down a little to watch out for other cars. While that's going on, the kids keep Lisa in their minds and keep hope that she'll be Ok.

Eventually the Loud family pulls up in the hospital parking lot and they get out of Vanzilla. They go inside and go up to the front desk. A woman with light skin and light brown hair in a low ponytail is sitting at the desk. She looks up at the Louds.

"Good afternoon," The woman at the desk greets them.

"Hi, we're here for my daughter Lisa Loud," Lynn Sr answers.

"Hmm," The woman at the desk looks through a pile of folders and paper work. She finds a paper and glances at it.

"Ah, here we are," The woman says, "I need you to please have a seat and wait for the doctor to speak to you."

Everyone follows the directions and sit down in the waiting room. Of course, with 11 people in the Loud family, they took up almost all the chairs. Eventually, a male doctor with dark brown hair, dark gray rimmed glasses, and wearing a white lab coat with sky blue scrubs underneath and black shoes approaches the waiting room.

"Family of Lisa Loud?" The doctor announces.

All the Louds stand up, much to the doctor's surprise.

"Hello sir, I'm Rita Loud, Lisa mother," Rita greets the doctor.

"Lynn Loud Sr, Lisa's father," Lynn Sr says.

Rita gestures her hand towards her kids, "These are all of Lisa's sisters and brother." The kids all bow their heads.

Upon learning that Lisa had a big family, the doctor was even more anxious to tell them Lisa's condition.

"Pleased to meet you all, I'm Dr. Martin," the doctor introduces himself.

"When Lisa came in, she was unfortunately in very bad shape. I was also informed that her ability to breath on her own was cumbersome; which was expected given the unfortunate situation that she was in," Dr. Martin explains.

The siblings all look at each other with worried expressions. "What does cumbersome mean?" Lola whispered to Lori, who was next to her.

"It means she was having trouble," Lori whispers back.

"Don't worry," Dr. Martin gently reassures Rita and Lynn Sr, "Even though her condition was pretty bad when she first came in, we are going to do whatever it takes to make your daughter feel better."

"Thank you so much doctor," Rita sighs, "You have no idea how much it would mean to us to have our little girl back."

Dr. Martin briefly glances at the 9 children and gives a warm smile, "Believe me, I do. I am not a father; but I am an uncle." He eventually leaves the family and goes back to taking care of Lisa.

* * *

After many "minutes turned to hours" go by, Dr. Martin exits the room that Lisa is in and walks slowly towards the waiting room, with his footsteps pounding on the white tile floors. As the waiting room comes into view, he stops walking and stands still; staring at the Loud family. He was reminded of the fact that Lisa had a big family with many sisters and a single brother. As he stared at the family, including the parents, Dr. Martin began to slowly blink a total of seven times...to fight back tears. What he had to tell them would surely break all of their hearts; something that every doctor feared and _no_ doctor was prepared for. Nonetheless, it had to be done. Taking a deep breath, Dr. Martin walked towards the waiting room.

Once he came into view, everybody's heads shoot up and looked at him. The doctor once again took a few deep breaths to maintain his composure.

"Rita...Lynn...I need to speak with you in private," Dr. Martin said somberly.

Knowing that wasn't a good sign but keeping their composure, Rita and Lynn Sr follow the doctor, leaving the kids behind.

"What're you waiting for Lynn? The doctor is calling you," Luan joked to Lynn, who she was sitting next to.

This was clearly not the time for jokes, so in response to that, Lynn stared at Luan with an unamused look that just screamed "are you serious?"

Luan realized that her joke was completely out of line, especially given the situation, so she quietly whispered, "Sorry".

Meanwhile, a few seats away, Lola looks in the direction her parents and the doctor left and raises an eyebrow suspiciously.

"I wonder what they're talking about," Lola whispers. She gets up from her chair and tries to sneak away to spy on the grown-ups.

However, she was quickly grabbed by Lori, "Lola, _sit_!" Lori commanded.

Lola did what she was told and sat back down next to Lori.

Meanwhile, Dr. Martin leads Rita and Lynn Sr to another area with a small group of chairs. Rita and Lynn Sr sit down and Dr. Martin pulls up a chair and places it in front of them so he is facing them. After sitting down, Dr. Martin cups his hands together and brings them about an inch or two in the front of his mouth; taking another deep breath.

He removes his hands from near his mouth and puts them in his lap, "You know how I said Lisa was in 'bad shape' when she came in? Well...I'm afraid...she was actually in terrible shape."

Dr. Martin continued, "The reality is that she was badly burned from head to toe. Her body is black and charred, with a lot of her skin having been peeled off."

After learning that their little girl was burned, Rita squeezes Lynn Sr's hands and he bites his bottom lip.

"There's more," Dr. Martin continues, "Her breathing complications were a result of smoke inhalation. The fire must have been so massive that the burning and combustion from it caused asphyxiation, or lack of oxygen. Also given the fact that she was surrounded by various chemicals, they also could have reacted to the heat and prevented her from getting the oxygen she needed."

Dr. Martin reaches into his lab coat and pulls out a beige folder. He stands up, "Follow me."

Rita and Lynn Sr follow Dr. Martin to a big gray screen and turns on a light. He places a photo on the screen which showed an X-Ray showing a chest with two black masses where the lungs are.

"This is a chest X-Ray showing a healthy pair of lungs," Dr. Martin says.

Then he showed another picture showing another pair of lungs; however, there was a mass of gray-ish haze inside the lungs.

"These are Lisa's lungs," Dr. Martin says. He points to the hazy grayness in them, "This is smoke. This is what caused her lungs to cease function."

The two of them stare at Lisa's X-Ray with worry. They couldn't believe that Lisa had smoke in her lungs.

Dr. Martin pulled out another piece of paper from the beige folder. "While Lisa was stabilized, we took some blood work," Dr. Martin looks at the chart, "Unfortunately we found a lot of carbon monoxide in her blood."

As the parents gasp, it's time for Dr. Martin to finally break the news to them. Once again, he slow blinks a few times to fight back tears.

"You might want to sit down," Dr. Martin leads Rita and Lynn Sr back to where they were sitting before. Once again the parents sit next to each other with the doctor sitting in front of them.

He once again tries to take a few deep breaths and fight back tears as he prepares to tell them.

"Mr. and Mrs. Loud...we did the best we could, but...your daughter Lisa Loud...didn't make it. She passed away. I'm so sorry." Dr. Martin closes his eyes and bows his head.

The news that Lisa had passed away was like a shot in the heart. Rita's lips started quivering and tears begin to build up in her eyes. Her eyes squeeze shut as the tears run down her cheeks. Meanwhile, Lynn Sr completely loses it. The tears in his eyes literally burst out of his eyes and his sobs gradually get louder and louder. As he covers his eyes, it truly dawns on him that his little girl is really gone and never coming back. His sobs gradually die down a little bit.

"Doctor…" Rita began, "Is it Ok if...we see her?"

"Absolutely," Dr. Martin grants them permission, "With your permission, I would like your children to see her too."

"Does that mean…" Lynn Sr began.

"Yes sir, I'll have to tell them," Dr. Martin sighs.

As the three adults made their way back to the waiting room, the thought of the news being told to the kids breaks Rita and Lynn Sr's hearts. Tears slowly begin to run down both their cheeks. The doctor trails about three feet behind them so that he can try and calm down since he has to be the one to tell them.

All the Loud kids look up as they watch their parents turn the corner and walk towards them. They immediately notice their parents' eyes are glossy from crying; which can only be a bad thing. Rita and Lynn Sr can be heard sniffling as they sit down in the same chairs they sat in when they first arrived at the hospital.

Lincoln is about to ask where the doctor is, but his question was answered when the doctor turns the corner; with his head hanging low in sadness. As he looks up at the kids, Dr. Martin's lips start quivering and he can feel tears building up in his eyes.

"Hello children," Dr. Martin grabs a chair and places it across from them so he's facing all the kids.

Just like when he spoke to the parents in privacy, Dr. Martin cupped his hands together and brought them in front of his mouth as he took deep breaths.

"I have bad news," Dr. Martin began.

The kids look at him with worrisome expressions. They were afraid something was going to happen; but they continued to listen.

"Lisa was badly burned...and there was a lot of smoke in her lungs, which is why she was unable to breathe properly," Dr. Martin explains.

Dr. Martin clasped his hands together and once again took a deep breath.

"There was also a dangerous gas found in her blood that prevented oxygen to flow through her blood."

As Dr. Martin pauses his explanation, Lincoln looks over at his parents, who both have tears in her eyes. Lynn Sr is quietly breaking down as rita his holding him in her arms. As he watched his parents' and the doctor's demeanor, Lincoln was able to roughly figure out what's wrong; but a small part of him didn't want to believe it. He and his sisters continue listening to what the doctor had to say.

A single tear begins to trickle down Dr. Martin's cheek, "Unfortunately we couldn't save her in time, so...she died."

Once again, hearing such devastating news was like a shot in the heart. For the most part, each sibling reacted differently. Lana closed her eyes, grit her teeth, and clutched her chest. Lola placed both her hands over her mouth and visibly started shaking. Lori grit her teeth and tears started building up in her eyes. Lincoln closed his eyes and hung his head low as his lips start quivering. Lynn grit her teeth and hung her head low as she started rubbing her arm. Luan gave a look of fear, grit her teeth, and placed her index finger on her chin near the corner of her mouth. Leni grit her teeth and placed her hand on the base of her neck as tears build up in her eyes. Lucy placed both her hands on her heart and her lips were quivering. Although her eyes could not be seen, tears began to build up. Finally, Luna closed her eyes and hung her head low.

Dr. Martin takes everyone's reactions in and is pretty shaken up by it. He figured that if they see her one last time, it'll bring their spirits up; despite the fact that she's but an charred empty shell that cannot see or hear her family.

"Would you like to see her?" Dr. Martin suggests gently.

Everybody looks up; with Rita, Lynn Sr, Lori, Leni, Lana, and Lincoln visibly crying.

"Doctor...do you mean it?" Lori sobs.

Dr. Martin gives a small understanding smile, "Of course, follow me."

All the Louds, despite being heartbroken, get up from their chairs, and follow the doctor to the room where Lisa is staying at. He opens a wooden door and everyone files inside. Dr. Martin closes the door and gestures towards a bed that is behind a white curtain.

"There she is," Dr. Martin says, "I'll leave you alone."

* * *

After Dr. Martin leaves the room and closes the door, the family stares at the bed for a few seconds. On the one hand, they wanted to see her one final time. But on the other hand, they were afraid of how she would look after the doctor described her condition.

After careful consideration, they decide to see the expired four year old, regardless of her condition. She may not be alive anymore, but she's still family.

"(Gulp) Come on kids," Lynn Sr squeaks as he and Rita gently push the kids towards the deceased child. They all gathered on the left side of the bed.

After they pulled back the white curtain and looked at Lisa, they could not believe their eyes. The doctor was right: Lisa _was_ burned badly; and it was worse than the family thought. Although only her head was visible and the rest of her body was covered by a large white sheet, the child's entire head, including her hair, was black and charred. It looked so painful to see her skin and hair burnt to a crisp. Her eyes were closed and the left lense on her glasses had a huge crack in it. Luckily, it wasn't broken, just cracked. Lynn Sr stepped forward and gently pulled back the sheet on the bed just to see how bad the damage _truly_ pulling the sheet back towards Lisa's neck, he notices something that makes him gasp in horror.

Curious as to what their father saw, the kids and Rita look closer at Lisa's face and what they saw was horrifying. The left side of Lisa's jaw was burnt so bad that you could actually _see_ her jawline through the hole in her face.

Lynn Sr wanted to pull back the sheet further in order to look at the rest of Lisa's charred body, but his hands were shaking so much that it ultimately prevented him from doing so. He pulled his hands back and cupped them together towards his chest.

This clued Rita in that _she_ should be the one to further investigate what the rest of Lisa's body looks like. So, with as much bravery as she could muster, Rita stepped towards the bed and pulled the sheet further back until it's completely off her daughter's body. As she was doing so, Lincoln, Lana, Lola, and Luna move to the right side of the bed to get a better look at Lisa. Luan and Leni both stand on the foot of the bed while Lori, Lynn, and Lucy remain on the left side of the bed with their father. Now that Lisa is completely uncovered, they take her in.

For one thing, much of Lisa's clothes have been singed off her body, so she was almost nude; except for her underwear and shoes, oddly enough. Her right arm and the right side of her chest were fleshy and bloody in addition to being burned. You can see chunks of red flesh on the right side of her body. Her stubby legs were not only black and crispy looking, but you can see a little bit of her bones through her skin. This, along with her visible jawline, were quite disturbing sights to be sure.

Despite how ashy his kid sister's body was, Lincoln wanted to touch her one last time. So he placed his hand on her right arm for a few seconds. As he removed it, black ashes rubbed off on his hand, which he wiped off.

As they looked at her, Luan and Leni talk. "I'm so glad that Lily's not here," Leni whispers, "She doesn't need to see this. The poor thing will have nightmares."

"Just like how _I'll_ have nightmares," Luan shivered. This wasn't a joke, Luan really did believe that she was going to have nightmares tonight.

Lola gently placed her hand on Lisa's right upper thigh, the only area of her right leg that didn't have bone sticking out of it.

"I can't believe Lisa's dead. She was so young," Lola whispered, with tears building up in her eyes.

Lana, with ears actually flowing down her cheeks, says nothing but nods in agreement.

Rita walks to the right side of the bed and gestures for her kids to move down a little so that she is standing right by Lisa's head. Lynn Sr, who's still standing on the left side of the bed, inches closer towards Lisa's head. After the parents briefly nod to each other, they both lean down and kiss the corners of Lisa's forehead. They both get ashes on their lips, but they don't care. The important thing is that they were able to kiss her. They do however wipe the ashes from their mouths.

The tender moment of the family looking over their fallen daughter and sister was interrupted when the door to the room opens. Without any of the family acknowledging him, Dr. Martin enters and walks towards the bed. It's only after he stands at the foot of the bed next to Luan and Leni does the family finally acknowledge his presence.

"Doctor, what's going to happen to Lisa now?" Rita asks.

"We are going to keep her in the morgue for a few days and then we will bring her to the funeral home," Dr. Martin says.

As soon as the word "funeral" was uttered, the floodgates in Rita and Lynn Sr's eyes begin to burst; that is to say they cried harder than they have all day. The prospect of the two of them arranging a funeral for one of their children who died before them was heartbreaking enough. Now throw in the fact that the child in question was only _four years old_ ; not even in the double digits yet, and the feeling was even worse.

As much as it pained him to remove the deceased little girl from her grieving family, the doctor knew it had to be done. Dr. Martin turned towards the door and motioned for someone to come inside.

Four nurses, two male and two female, dressed in mint green scrubs and white shoes, come inside the room. They are wheeling in a stretcher. The family backs away from the bed to make way for the nurses to remove Lisa from her bed and onto the stretcher.

One of the female nurses takes the sheet and gently covers Lisa's body. After the dead prodigy's body is completely covered, two nurses get on the left side of the bed and the other two get on the right side of the bed. The nurses work together to lift the little girl from the bed and gently place her on the stretcher.

"Any last words?" Dr. Martin suggests gently.

The family look at each other somberly. Without any words, they all unanimously decide what their final words to Lisa will be.

"Goodbye Lisa," the family say in unison. Some of them cry while others just look on sadly.

Dr. Martin nods his head and he leads the nurses away towards the morgue; leaving the family behind to grieve the loss of their little girl.


	2. Plans and Arrangements

**Thursday April 19, 2018: Two days after Lisa's death**

The following Thursday afternoon, things were a little hectic in the Loud house. Lincoln was sitting on the end of the couch near the fireplace and Lynn Sr was sitting on the other end of the couch near the stairs. Lynn Sr had his cell phone next to his ear.

"Operator, can you please connect me to 'Disciples of Christ Catholic Church' in Royal Woods?" Lynn Sr speaks to his phone, "Great, I'll hold."

While that's going on, Rita steps out of her bedroom and holds an address book as she makes her way towards the green landline phone. She picks up the receiver, opens the address book, and skims through it until she finds the phone number she's looking for. Once she finds it, she proceeds to dial the number.

Lincoln turns to his readers, "Ever since... _that_ happened, things have been very different around here."

"Yesterday, a few of us didn't want to go to school because we were trying to recoup after what happened. My mom convinced us to go to school because it's what Lisa would've wanted. We decided to respect her wishes," Lincoln explained.

"Speaking of school, I decided to tell my friends what happened," Lincoln says.

* * *

 **Flashback to the previous day**

 _As Lincoln walked across the cafeteria, with his lunch tray clutched tightly in his hands, he passes by a group of kids that seem pretty young. It broke his heart to see such young children alive and well, which is something that his little sister will never be able to experience now that she's dead._

" _Lincoln?" Clyde called out to him. Lincoln blinked to snap out of his thoughts and approached the lunch table his friends were sitting at._

 _Finally Lincoln sits down next to Clyde. Liam is sitting across from Clyde, Zach is across from Lincoln, and Rusty is next to Zach._

 _After he sits down, Lincoln places his left elbow on the table, rests his cheek in his left hand, and holds his fork in his right hand; which he uses to fiddle with his food. His friends take notice of his behavior._

" _Lincoln, you Ok?" Rusty wonders._

 _Lincoln glances up the really quick, "No I'm not; something happened yesterday."_

" _You guys remember my sister Lisa? Well, she was in the hospital yesterday. It turns out she was a victim of that big fire at the Royal Woods Science Institute. And...she didn't make it. She died," Lincoln explained._

 _Each of Lincoln's friends had a different reaction to the news. Liam placed both his elbows on the table and rested his head on both his hands. He started to feel bad about any negative stuff he said about her._

 _Zach looked down in sadness and placed his left hand on his chest. Even though he hasn't had a loved one die, he did have a loved one leave him. Needless to say, it was an awful feeling._

 _Rusty bit his bottom lip and started rubbing his left arm. He understood and empathized with what Lincoln was going through; since his own grandmother passed away just a few months ago._

 _Lincoln glanced at Clyde to see his reaction. A small tear gently rolled down his cheek. This was honestly the reaction Lincoln was expecting from Clyde; since he is the only one out of Lincoln's friends who has truly gotten to know Lisa._

" _Now that you guys know…" Lincoln hesitates, "Can you please do me favor and not talk about her?"_

 _All of Lincoln's friends understood completely and nodded in agreement._

 **End of flashback**

* * *

Lynn Sr turns to Rita, "Who all did you invite?"

"Everyone. I just need to invite my brother Hank and my uncle Jay," Rita says as she skims through her address book.

"I just spoke to Father Hatfield and the funeral is tomorrow. Don't forget to tell them," Lynn Sr reminds her.

"I know dear, I told everyone else already," Rita says.

As Rita calls the rest of her relatives, a loud bang is heard from the stairs. It is Lucy dragging her coffin down the stairs.

"What're you doing honey?" Lynn Sr gets up from the couch.

"I'm trying to bring this coffin into the garage. I want this out of my sight," Lucy whispers harshly.

"Here, I can help you," Lynn Sr steps towards the stairs and grabs Lucy's coffin to help her take it to the garage.

Lincoln turns to the readers, "In case you're wondering, Lucy isn't gonna help plan the funeral," Lincoln explains, "It's a very different thing to plan a funeral for a human; specifically a family member, as opposed to a pet."

Meanwhile, Luna and Luan enter the living room from the kitchen. "Hey Luna, are you going to sing at the funeral tomorrow?" Luan asks.

"Nah dude, you know that church music gets me emotional," Luna answers, "And considering the fact that we're going to a _funeral_ , I would just break down."

Lily is seen crawling on the floor towards Luan and Luna. "Lan," Lily reached up towards Luan.

"Hi Lilster, what's up?" Luan coos as she holds Lily.

"Wa Sha Sha?" Lily wonders. In case you don't know what that means, she said "Where's Lisa?"

Luan and Luna looked at each other with worry. How could they possibly tell their baby sister that Lisa is done for?

"Uh...Lisa's going away for a while," Luan says.

Lily frowns, "Sha Sha ome," she whines. This time she said "This is Lisa's home."

Feeling uncertain about touching on the subject at this time, Luan changed the subject, "Hey Lily, you hungry? Want some num-nums?" This prompted Lily to giggle as Luan took her into the kitchen.

Lincoln turns to the readers, "That reminds me. We have been taking turns sleeping in Lisa's bed these past few days. Lily's so used to sharing her room with someone that we didn't want her to be lonely."

* * *

" _Uncle Jay!"_ Rita can be heard yelling at the phone.

"How _dare_ you say that I'm lying! Why on Earth would I lie about my daughter dying?!" Rita angrily shouts.

She paused and listened to her uncle talk on the other line. After listening for a bit, her face scrunched up in anger, "I'm telling you! Lisa really did die! In a fire. _I'm serious!_ "

In the middle of Rita's angry rant, Lynn Sr and Lucy return into the living room. He goes up to his wife and places his hand on her shoulder.

"Your great niece is _dead_ and I can't believe you are acting like this! I...you know what? I don't need this right now! Goodbye!" Rita slammed the receiver down on the phone. This caused anyone within the vicinity to turn to her.

"Honey?" Lynn Sr wonders.

"(Sigh) I'm fine. I just need to call my brother Hank and my nephew Chance," Rita skims her address book; then she proceeds to call another number.

Lincoln could not believe that his great uncle Jay is being such a jerk right now; enough to make his mother hang up on him.

"Usually I love Uncle Jay," Lincoln tells the readers, "But he really stepped out of line here. Pardon my language, but...how _stupid_ do you have to be to disregard the death of a four year old girl?"

Rita was able to get a hold of her brother Hank, "Hi Hank. Listen, I have terrible news. Lisa died on Tuesday." She pauses for a brief moment to listen. "Oh yes, Chance is going to be crushed."

There's another brief pause. Rita's nephew Chance got on the line, "Hi Chance. How are you doing? Yes, it's true. What's that hon? You want to do the eulogy? Are you sure? A pallbearer too? Aww, you're so sweet. Can you put your dad back on?"

Rita pauses as Hank gets back on the line, "Ok, so the funeral is tomorrow. What's that? You want to be a pallbearer too?"

Rita places her hand on her chest, "Oh thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me, and to all of us. Ok then, thank you. I'll see you tomorrow."

Rita hangs up the phone and gives a sigh of relief. It made her totally forget the turmoil she had with Uncle Jay.

* * *

There was a knock on the door, which Luna answers. It turns out to be Pop-Pop.

"Hi," Luna greets him.

"Hey," Pop-Pop sighs, "Look, I heard about what happened, and...can I stay here tonight until the funeral?"

"Of course you can Dad," Rita approbes.

"But where's he gonna sleep?" Lynn Sr wonders as he rubs the back of his head.

"He can sleep in my room while I sleep with Lily," Lincoln jumps in.

"Oh, I wish I could kiddo, but your bed is too small for me," Pop-Pop says.

"You can sleep with me and Lynn can sleep with Lily," Rita volunteers.

"You sure you don't mind?" Pop-Pop asks Lynn Sr.

"Nah, besides, I'd like to sleep in the same room as my baby girl," Lynn Sr says.

Speaking of which, Luan enters the living room with Lily in her arms, "Oh, hi Pop-Pop," Luan greeted. Lily giggled upon seeing him.

"Hi," Pop-Pop greeted, "Can I see Lily for a minute?"

Luan hands Lily to Pop-Pop, "Hey sweetie!" Pop-Pop gives Lily a great big kiss on her cheek.

Lincoln turns to the readers one last time, "I guess Pop-Pop wants to spend as much time with us as possible; since after what happened, we could be gone at a moment's notice."


	3. The Funeral and Burial

**Friday April 20, 2018: Three days after Lisa's death**

The day had finally arrived, a day where all members of the Loud family, near and far, had to say goodbye to Lisa; and allow the man upstairs to welcome her to heaven.

A feeling of melancholy and tension was spread all throughout Vanzilla as the Louds drove to church where the funeral service will be held. Knowing that they would have to put their second youngest daughter in the ground soon, Rita and Lynn Sr started crying; with Lynn Sr needing to focus on the road despite his eyes burning from the tears.

The rest of the family wasn't much better off. Nobody spoke a single word because there was nothing anyone could say to change what was happening. The twins hung their heads in sadness and stared at nothing but their laps. Lori rested her head on the door and kept her eyes fixated on the sky. Lincoln looked over at his grandfather to check on how he was feeling.

Albert's heart shattered at the notion of one of his grandchildren dying before him. He had always thought that out of his family, _he_ would be the one closest to death's door; but instead it was Lisa. The pain was so overwhelming that he reached into the front pocket of his black tuxedo and pulled out a handkerchief as he cried.

"Pop-Pop," Lincoln wrapped his arm over his grandfather's shoulder as a way of showing him that he is there for him. "Are you Ok?"

Albert slightly turned his head to face his grandson, "Lincoln, when you get to be my age, death isn't a big surprise. You know it's coming and you are no longer afraid of it. But the thing is...having to face the reality of a family member going before you is something that you really gotta have a lot of guts for. And let's face it Lincoln…" Albert's eyes not only fill with tears, but sobs begin to replace his words. "I just don't have those guts!" His sobs get louder and louder as he uses the handkerchief to dab away at his eyes. Lincoln kept his arms around Albert the entire ride there.

Because the church was only a block away from the Loud house, they were the first to arrive; however, they decided to wait for the rest of the family so they can all go in the church together. Albert noticed Myrtle's car sitting in the parking lot.

Albert got out of the van and Lincoln followed. Myrtle got out of her car as soon as they approached it. She was wearing a black dress, a gold pearl necklace around her neck, and black slip on shoes. "Hello Albert, hello Lincoln."

"Myrtle? What're you doing here?" Albert wonders.

Myrtle started rubbing her arm, "After you told me the news, I just had to come out here and support you again, I know you aren't my real family, but I still feel like I should still pay my respects regardless."

She turns to Lincoln, "I am so sorry about your little sister's passing. She was one smart little girl with a lot of potential."

As Lincoln heard the words "smart little girl with a lot of potential", he thought back to when Lisa and Myrtle first met. She had such an excitement in her voice when she asked Myrtle if Pop-Pop had told her about her achievements. Of course Lisa's willingness to show Myrtle slides of _fecal matter_ that she had collected showed that she had a real passion for what she does. A passion that will never be seen or explored again.

The brief trip down memory lane makes Lincoln's heart break and caused tears to well in his eyes. "Yes she was," He squeaked as he started crying. Myrtle and Albert both opened their arms and gave Lincoln a group hug.

As Albert held his grandson in his arms, he gazed up at the sky. It was such a pretty blue, with only a few clouds surrounding it. The clearness in the sky seemed like a sign that the angels above were preparing for Lisa's arrival. Albert could not have asked for a better sight to behold.

Meanwhile, a light green van pulled into the parking lot; this vehicle belongs to Lynn Sr's side of the family. "Come on kids, let's say hi to your cousins," He urged as he opened the door.

The time has come for the Louds to visit some family members whom they have not seen in a long time. First was Lynn Sr's brother Roger, his sister-in-law Vanessa, and his aunt Shirley. They are all dressed in black and they go and greet the Louds.

"Lynn, what _happened_?" Roger urged as he firmly gripped both his brother's shoulders with both his hands. His tone of voice was a clear giveaway that he was desperate for answers over what caused his niece's death.

"Long story short, Lisa was working at a science institute and the place caught on fire," Lynn Sr explained.

"Oh Lynn, that's such a terrible way to go. I am so sorry," Vanessa grieved as she placed her hand on his forearm.

"Come here nephew," Aunt Shirley stepped forward and hugged Lynn Sr. He cried into her shoulders and he held his aunt in his arms.

While the grown ups were grieving, Lynn Sr's two nieces and one nephew get out of the car and look for their cousins. The eldest niece, Raylynn, had her white hair tied in a ponytail and was wearing small white earrings, a black long sleeved overshirt, a white undershirt, a long black skirt, and black slip on shoes.

She approached Lori and tapped her shoulder, "Hey Lori."

Lori, dressed in a long sleeved black dress with black slip on shoes, whirled around and smiled at her cousin.

"Raylynn," Lori opened her arms and pulled her tightly in a hug. After the two cousins lovingly embraced, Raylynn asked, "Where's Lincoln?"

As Lincoln, Albert, and Myrtle approach the family, Raylynn takes notice of Lincoln's saddened demeanor and immediately goes to hug her favorite cousin. "Lincoln, I'm sorry."

Luan feels a tap on her shoulder and turns around. She sees her cousin Giana, who is wearing a dark gray short sleeved shirt, short black skirt, white nylon stockings, and black Mary Jane shoes.

"Luan? You Ok cousin?" Giana wonders. Luan responded to her question by hugging her as she closed her eyes and sniffled.

Raylynn and Giana's younger brother Louie goes to find Leni, since he is her favorite cousin. After he finds her, he stops biting the nail on his right thumb and waves at her.

"Hi Leni," Louie greets in his high pitched voice.

As Leni looks down at the little boy in front of her and he looks back at her, there was a sudden pause in reality. Despite being six years old, Louie was very short; about Lisa's height. Because of this, Leni's heart broke in half and she bursts into tears.

"Oh Louie!" Leni got down on her knees and gave Louie such a tight hug that he can be heard grunting slightly. As Leni's grip loosened, Louie wrapped his own arms around her and nuzzled his cheek into her shoulder.

Leni was crying so hard because it dawns on her that she'll never be able to hold Lisa in her arms again. Louie's small body was a decent substitute; but it can't last forever. So Leni decides to keep hugging Louie for as long as she could; with the boy's shoulder being drenched in her tears.

A blue pick-up truck pulls up in the parking lot. The door to the passenger's seat opens and Rita's 21 year old nephew Chance steps out. He silently looks at his family for a few seconds as his lips quiver. When he spots his aunt, he grits his teeth and closes his eyes as he runs towards her.

"Oh auntie!" Chance wails as he practically pounces on Rita and hugs her. He buries his face in Rita's shoulder and her dress starts to dampen.

It broke Rita's heart to have her second oldest nephew so grief stricken and forlorn. As she held him in her arms, she whispered, "Do you still want to do the eulogy? Because you don't have to if you don't want to."

Chance removed his head from Rita's shoulder and looked her in the eye. Although his bloodshot eyes said otherwise, he knew in his heart that he _had_ to give a speech honoring his favorite cousin. So, despite difficulty speaking, Chance nodded his head and mumbled "mm-hmm."

Rita's tender moment with her nephew was interrupted by the sound of a car horn as a burgundy Sedan pulled into the church parking lot.

"Excuse me," Rita immediately recognized the car and approached it. She stood next to the driver's side door and placed her hands on her hips. The other doors open, but Rita keeps her focus on the person who exits the driver's seat, who happens to be Uncle Jay.

Jay has a look of guilt on his face as he mumbles, "Hi Rita."

"What changed your mind?" Rita removed her hands from her hips and folded her arms across her chest.

Before Jay can explain himself, he turns towards his family, which contains his wife Rebecca, his sister Ruth, and his twin 8 year old sons Geoffrey and Sheldon. He nods at them to let them know that they should give him and Rita privacy. They walk away and meet up with everyone else.

"Look, about what happened yesterday," Jay rubbed his arm nervously, "I was so shaken up by what you told me that I totally denied it. Not just that, but I wanted to protect my sons from the pain of having their little cousin die."

"You really hurt my feelings," Rita sighs, "It didn't matter that you were in denial; comparing your great niece's death to a joke was one of the worst things you have ever said to me."

Jay can't quite look his niece in the eye, so he glances to the side as he talks, "Yes it was. I know it was; and I am so sorry. The reality is that I was so torn apart that…" Jay's eyes fill with tears, "I just tried to convince myself it wasn't true. This is hard to deal with, you know. I know treating it as a joke was a distasteful way to deny it, but I just didn't know what else to do. I guess it was a slip of the tongue."

Rita put her arm around her uncle, "I'm going to forgive you; because now is not the time for anyone to be fighting."

As Rita and Jay look over the family, they notice someone is missing, "Hey, where's…"

The question was interrupted when a red Jeep Wrangler comes speeding into the parking lot, the tires screeching as the driver tries to find a parking space. A tall broad shouldered young man with black hair and dressed in all black steps out of the vehicle. This is Joe; Rita's oldest nephew who is 27 years old.

"Am I too late?" Joe panted.

"No, Joe; you're just in time," Rita says.

Joe looks around and approaches Lucy; who is his favorite cousin. He gets down to her level and places his hands on her shoulders.

"Hey you, are you Ok?" Joe asks Lucy in a gentle tone.

"A little...for now," Lucy answers him.

"Come here," Joe leans forward and hugs Lucy tightly; to which she hugs him back.

Lynn Sr looks at his watch and realizes that it's time for the service to start. Now that the entire party has arrived, he faces everybody.

"Ok everyone," Lynn Sr announces, "It's time to go inside." Everybody goes inside the church to prepare for a sad event.

* * *

When everyone enters the church, the first thing they notice is Lisa's open coffin sitting there. This is the final time they get to look at her before the coffin closes forever; so anything they needed to do or say to her had to happen now.

Since Lynn Sr is the first to enter the church, he is the first to enter the church, he is the first one to approach the box where his fallen daughter is resting. The coffin is a beautiful dark purple and is shiny from being well polished. The inside was lined with white velvet so that Lisa's body was comfortable.

Of course, peacefully lying inside the coffin was Lisa herself. She was wearing an emerald dress; which was a dress that her parents had sent to the people in the funeral home. Her legs were covered by a white blanket; perhaps to spare her family from the horror of her scorched legs that had her bones exposed. Lisa's black hands were placed over her stomach and a green rosary was in her hands. Her face and hair were still burned and peeled; but the ashes on her body appeared to have been cleaned off because she didn't look as charred as she was in the hospital.

Lynn Sr looked at his stiff and breathless daughter and bent down to kiss her head. She was so cold that he felt like he was kissing a mannequin or a doll instead of a once living human being. After embracing her, he stepped away from the coffin and put on white gloves. As a pallbearer, he had to wear these gloves so as not to damage the coffin when he carries it.

Next, Rita approached the coffin, with Lily in her arms. Lily looked at Lisa's body with curiosity; uncertain as to why Lisa looked so strange.

"Sha sha sleepy?" Lily asks as she looks at her mother. Rita's lips quiver as her baby innocently assumes that Lisa is just sleeping.

"Lily...give Lisa a kiss," Rita instructed as she held Lily up to Lisa's head. After Lily gives Lisa a big kiss on her head, Rita does the same. After kissing her big sister, Lily looks at Lisa's body and is curious as to why she isn't moving or opening her eyes. Before she can ask any questions, Rita takes her and they move away from the coffin.

Now it's time for each of the siblings to visit their little sister. Lori places her hand on Lisa's hands. She holds them for a good five seconds before she moves on. Leni lightly strokes Lisa's hair for a few seconds before she kisses Lisa twice; once on the forehead and once on the cheek. Luna cupped both her hands on Lisa's cheeks as she watched one of her tears land on Lisa's shoulder. Luan placed her hand on Lisa's cheek and kissed her forehead. Lynn put her hands on Lisa's hands, kissed her cheek, and nuzzled her cheek with her nose. Lincoln pet Lisa's cheek with the back of his hand and kissed Lisa on the lips. Lucy puckered her lips and placed them on Lisa's cheek for seven seconds. As she releases her lips from Lisa, she sniffled quietly and a tear lands on Lisa's face. Lana placed her hands on Lisa's hands and placed her face on Lisa's chest as she softly sobbed into her sister's chest. Lola placed a hand on Lisa's cheek and kissed her on the forehead as a tear lands on her face. Albert kissed Lisa's forehead and looked at the giant statue of Jesus embedded on a cross that stood at the church's altar.

It was now the extended family's turn to bid the departed child goodbye. Just like the Louds, they kissed her and put their hands on her; with Louie needing to be lifted up so he can get a better view of his cousin.

The last family member to view Lisa was Chance. He softly grit his teeth and had to close his eyes because he was becoming blinded by his tears that had burst out of his eyes. He slid his left hand underneath Lisa's head and gently lifted her head up. Then he put his right hand on her chest. The only noises that come from Chance are soft sobs and hyperventilation that echoes throughout the church. His favorite cousin is gone; which is a fact that he had difficulty accepting but he definitely could not deny it because it was right in front of his eyes. Much like the Louds, he wanted to touch her, hold her, and kiss her forever.

Chance began to kiss Lisa on the head, quite literally showering her ashy skin with kisses. Rita and Joe came up to him and started to pry the grief stricken young man away from Lisa. Rita gently tucked her child back into her coffin as Joe held his brother in his arms. The only word that Chance mustered up the ability to say was "Lisa!" Aside from that, he continued to sob.

"Come, brother, you need to put her gloves on so you can carry her," Joe urged.

Chance continued to hyperventilate, but obeyed his brother. He needed to get it together so he can appear dignified and respectable when he joins Lynn Sr, Albert, and Hank in carrying Lisa down the aisle.

Now that everyone has had a chance to look at Lisa, they go and find seats inside the church sans the pallbearers who stay behind with Lisa's coffin. Lincoln takes the tip of his right index finger and dips it in a golden bowl of holy water; then he takes his finger and makes the sign of the cross, which involves tapping his forehead, chest, left shoulder, right shoulder, and chin.

He followed his family down the aisle towards their seats. As they reached the second row of pews, Lori kneeled down and did the sign of the cross; then she proceeded to walk down the pew so that her whole family will fit. The rest of the family followed Lori towards the end of the pew so that all the kids were seated from youngest (Lola) to oldest (Lori). After making the sign of the cross without kneeling because she was holding Lily, Rita sat in the pew next to Lola. Myrtle sat directly behind the Louds.

Meanwhile, on the left side of the church, the extended family occupied the second and third row. The first row was reserved for the pallbearers, so they were empty.

Shortly after everyone was settled in, an older woman with sand colored hair with gray strands in it walked in from a door on the left side of the church. This was Mrs. O'Leary; the head singer of the church. She was then followed by a man with dark brown hair named Henry Parker; who plays the piano.

After Henry took his place at the piano, Mrs. O'Leary stood in front of a conductor's podium that had sheet music on it.

"Please stand," Mrs. O'Leary announced.

Henry began to play the song "Hosanna in the Highest" and Mrs. O'Leary sang the song as everyone stood up and looked down the aisle towards the back where they came in.

An elderly white haired priest, named Father Hatfield, walked down the aisle leading the pallbearers who are carrying Lisa's coffin. Over his normal black cleric's clothing, Father wore a long sleeved white robe called an alb. Draped over both his shoulders, he wore a long purple stole that had gold crosses on the edges of the stole. Father Hatfield carried a Bible in his hands and looked downward somberly.

Lynn Sr, Albert, Hank, and Chance carry the closed casket that now has a white sheet covering it. They stop once Father Hatfield reaches the altar and indicates that it's time for them to join their families. Before he joins his father, Chance takes out a silver crucifix that he kept in his jacket pocket, kisses it, and places it on top of Lisa's coffin. Lynn Sr and Albert stand on the left side of the church while Hank and Chance stand on the right side.

Shortly after sprinkling the coffin with holy water, Father Hatfield stands at the podium at the front of the church. He places the Bible on the podium and looks at Mrs. O'Leary and Henry Parker; indicating that it's time for them to be silent.

The family remains standing as Father Hatfield greets them, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Everyone follows the priest and does the sign of the cross. Then everyone collectively says "Amen".

Father Hatfield speaks again, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all".

Everyone raises their palms up towards the ceiling and says, "And also with you."

It's time for another song, known as Glory to God. Henry starts to play the song as Mrs. O'Leary sings. A few family members quietly sang along while most stayed silent.

* * *

"You may now be seated," Father Hatfield announced.

"Family, friends. We are gathered here today to mourn the death of Lisa Marie Loud," Father Hatfield stated, "She was a daughter, a sister, a niece, a cousin, and a great niece."

"The good Lord has taken her far before any of us had expected. None of us know why, but we do know that she is safe and sound in the hands of our Lord. We are here not to be saddened by a child taken from this world; but rather, we are here to be joyful that she will eternally rest in another world full of peace."

As Lincoln listened to the words that the priest uttered, he started crying; but they were instead tears of happiness. Lisa's last few moments on Earth had her burning alive, so she was suffering. Now she is out of her misery and in the hands of someone who will take care of her and keep her safe from harm.

Father Hatfield opens the Bible to read Psalm 23. Some members of the family remain sitting while others pull out a velvet bench in front of the pews and kneel.

Psalm 23 goes like this:

"The Lord is my shepherd

I shall not want

He makes me lie down in green pastures

He leads me beside still waters

He restores my soul

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name's sake

Even though I walk through the

Valley of the shadow of death

I fear no evil; for You are with me

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me

You prepare a table for me in the

Presence of my enemies

You have anointed my head with oil

My cup overflows

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life

And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever"

Everyone in the church collectively says "Amen".

Lucy stares ominously at Lisa's coffin for a few seconds. After the true meaning of the Psalm truly dawns on her, Lucy starts sobbing as tears wash down her face. Then she whispers "Take care of her God"; which definitely doesn't go unnoticed by Lincoln, who gently squeezes her hand to assure her that everything is Ok.

Father Hatfield addresses the family once again, "And now, Lisa's older cousin Chance would like to say a few words," He steps away from the podium, "You now have the floor, my brother."

Once Chance reaches the podium, he begins his speech, "Hi everyone. I'm Chance Smith, Lisa's cousin…" He pauses for a moment to gather his thoughts and continues, "I never thought I would be here today to give the eulogy at my kid cousin's funeral, who's quite literally a kid. The, uh, the news of her passing was quite a shock that...when Aunt Rita told me, I had trouble sleeping because...she was so young."

Chance's nose started to run but he unfortunately didn't have any tissue with him, so he merely sniffled.

"I remember the day Aunt Rita asked my dad, my brother Joe, and I to come and meet her the day after she was born. I remember what she looked like too: a little round head, small dotted brown eyes that sparkled, and a scruffy little tuft of brown hair. As I was holding her, she took her tiny index finger and pointed at me. And then, she _actually_ said her first word; which was _Greetings!_ Not even a day old and she said the word Greetings."

As the memory of that funny little moment comes flooding back to them, the Louds started chuckling. Even though she couldn't relate, Myrtle smiled warmly at the story.

"That's when I instantly fell in love with her," Chance continued, "Despite my dad and I living 5 hours away, I tried to be in her life as much as possible. Her second birthday was the first time I had seen her since she was a baby, and not only was she walking and talking articulately, but that was also when she started wearing her glasses. She was such a cutie."

"At the age of 3 and a half, my little cousin accomplished something that no one so young had done before. She won a _Junior Nobel Prize_ for creating a nutrient replacement pill! We can tell that little girl was not only a prodigy, but she had a lifelong passion for what she did."

Chance lightly sobbed for like 2 and a half seconds before continuing, "Unfortunately, her passion lead to her demise. I'd be lying if I said that wasn't my biggest fear; I was still proud of her, but I also feared for her life."

Tears softly trickled down Chance's cheeks and he wiped his eyes with his index finger. "Believe it or not, the moments I enjoyed the most actually weren't the big things like the ceremony for her Junior Nobel Prize or her presentations at my college. They were actually the smaller things like family reunions, barbeques, holidays, even phone calls and video chats."

It was times for Chance to conclude his speech, which is evident by the fact that his eyes were becoming bloodshot and more tears quite literally poured down his cheeks.

"I haven't seen or spoken to her since Christmas. Had I known that she was going to die, I would have held her in my arms, kissed her, and...and...told her that I love her."

"So...Lisa may be gone; but she will _never_ be forgotten. Family, friends, just remember Lisa. As long as she remains in our hearts...we can think about all the fond memories of the little girl that lies in a coffin today."

First, Chance glances up at the ceiling for a moment; then he looks at Lisa's coffin with a saddened look and sobbing quietly.

"Goodbye Lisa. We love you," Chance blew a kiss at the coffin; resulting in multiple "aww's" echoing through the church.

Hank got up from his seat and escorted his son away from the podium; with Chance crying a river of tears as the two of them make it back to their seats.

* * *

"That was a beautiful speech," Father Hatfield looked solemnly at the family, "Now is the time for us to celebrate Lisa ascending to Heaven; at the Royal Woods Cemetery."

As Henry played and Mrs. O'Leary sang the final song of the day, which was titled "On Eagle's Wings", everyone stood up and watched Father Hatfield walk towards the aisle. Chance carefully removed the silver crucifix from the coffin so that it doesn't fall off. The pallbearers grabbed the coffin and followed the priest down the aisle, walking carefully so as not to disturb the breathless child inside it.

When everyone else follows suit, sobs and sniffles can be heard underneath the heavenly singing of Mrs. O'Leary. A few family members take a few flowers that were displayed near the entrance of the church, perhaps to place them alongside Lisa's grave at the cemetery.

Parked just outside the church was a shiny black hearse, which is a vehicle used to transfer coffins to the cemetery. The pallbearers work together to carefully lift the coffin into the vehicle. After it is loaded and the trunk of the hearse is closed, Father Hatfield turns to the pallbearers and nods his head, indicating that everything is ready to go.

The drive from the church to the cemetery is actually quite the long one; about 15 or 20 minutes tops. However, given the lack of traffic, they were able to make it there in the nick of time. As the Louds drove down the small road within the cemetery, they see a group of about 24 chairs set up next to a perfectly rectangular hole in the ground and a gray headstone that was currently unmarked but will probably be marked very soon.

"This is it," Were the only words that were uttered from Lynn Sr's mouth as he parked Vanzilla.

Everybody got out of the car and made their way towards the burial plot. Since the Louds are Lisa's immediate family, they sit in the first two rows of chairs. Soon, Myrtle arrives and sits in the back row.

Albert, curious, turns around towards Myrtle. "What're you doing way back there?" Albert asks.

Myrtle silently points to her hair, which is styled into a beehive. Albert raises an eyebrow and nods in understanding.

Soon Rita's brother and two nephews arrive, with Joe having his arm around Chance as they walk.

After Chance sits down behind Lincoln, he turns around and addresses his older cousin, "Chance? You Ok?" Lincoln wonders.

Chance looks up, "Not really Linc," He sniffles.

"How's Lucy holding up?" Joe asks Lincoln.

Lincoln sees Lucy is sitting three seats to his right and notices that she is looking down with small drops of tears emerging from behind her blinding bangs.

"She seems pretty torn up," Lincoln reports.

Uncle Jay, his wife, and his kids were the last ones to arrive; but they realized that there weren't enough chairs for the 4 of them. It's possible that Rita told Father Hatfield that they weren't coming because of the fight that they had the day before. Because of this, the 4 of them had to stand in the back.

After what seemed like an eternity, the black hearse arrived and a grayish white Volkswagen Beetle that belonged to none other than Father Hatfield followed it.

Upon seeing the hearse, this was the pallbearers' cue that they needed to unload the coffin and carry it towards the empty hole. As they stood up, Jay signaled his wife and sons to go sit in the now vacant chairs.

Father Hatfield was now wearing all black and he walked towards the hole, reading the pallbearers bearing the coffin.

Layered above the hole is a silver rectangular device that contains two green straps displayed horizontally across them. This is a lowering device that is used to lower the casket into the grave. As such, the pallbearers gently place the coffin right over the straps of the lowering device; then they stand next to the grave so they are facing the family.

"The time has come to lay young Lisa to rest," Father Hatfield begins, "I ask you to please stand as her body descends into the Earth."

As everyone stands, Father Hatfield recites another prayer:

"God our Father

Your power brings us to birth

Your providence guides our lives

And by Your command, we return to dust

Lord, those who die still live in your presence

Their lives change but do not end

I pray in hope for my family,

Relatives and friends

And for all the dead known to You alone

In company with Christ,

Who died and now lives,

May they rejoice in Your kingdom

Where all our tears are wiped away

Unite us together in one family,

To sing your praise forever and ever

Amen"

Then it happened: the casket was lowered into the ground as slowly as possible. Each member of the Loud family reacted in a different way. Lincoln looked down with a look of sadness; but his eyes were dry since he had already used all his tears. Lori tightly clutched a Kleenex in her hands to prepare for inevitable water works.

Leni, on the other hand, already had water works in her eyes and also tightly gripped a Kleenex in her hands. Luna only looked at the coffin for a brief few seconds before she closed her eyes and hung her head. Luan grit her teeth and placed a hand on her chest as tears filled her eyes. Lynn also had tears in her eyes and she can be heard sniffling and sobbing as her lips quiver.

Lucy clasped her hands together as tears leaked out of her unseen eyes. Lana had trouble handling the situation in front of her, so she squeezed her hands into fists and placed them near her face while giving a look of fear and discomfort. Lola's lips quiver as she uses a Kleenex to dab away her tears.

As the coffin was halfway into the ground, Lily started reaching both her hands towards the coffin and started calling out her sister's name: "Sha Sha! Sha Sha!"

It was time for Rita to do something that she dreaded, but knew it had to be done. She placed one of her hands on Lily's chest to calm her down, then she looked her child in the eyes.

"Lily…" Rita sighed, "Lisa is...going bye-bye."

Lily looked sadly at the coffin, initially confused as to exactly why Lisa was going bye-bye. Tears build up in the infant's eyes as she uses her hand to wave at the hole and whimper "Bye-Bye Sha Sha".

Once the coffin is completely in the Earth, the hole is covered. Harsh sobs and hyperventilation can be heard as the family members who have flowers sneak towards the headstone and gingerly place the flowers beside and on top of it.

Nobody had anything to say after that, so everyone parted ways, but not before they hugged and kissed each other. As the Loud family walked back to Vanzilla, Lincoln and his younger sisters kept looking back at the burial plot.

Finally, Vanzilla drove off, with only the sounds of the engine and the tires screeching on the asphalt being heard. As the various headstones become nothing more than faint gray and white specks in the distance, Lincoln turned around one last time and blew one last kiss at the headstone that would soon bear the name, birthdate, and death date of a four year old girl.


	4. Lynn and Luna's Bargain

**Saturday April 21, 2018: Four days after Lisa's death**

This was the very first Saturday the Louds had to spend without Lisa and it _really_ shows. All was quiet; with some of the Louds gone for the day and others remaining silent because none had a single word to say. The house was so full of melancholy that it felt a lot like a funeral home; which was expected since they just had a funeral 24 hours prior.

On a normal Saturday, Lynn would be running wild and about, either with her siblings in the backyard. Today, however, sports were shockingly the last thing on her mind. She stepped out of her room and quietly crept down the hall towards the bedroom that now only Lily occupies. Lynn gently turned the doorknob and peeked her head inside.

It was usually common courtesy for whoever is going in there to do so carefully so they do not disturb Lily's naps nor Lisa's experiments. However, much to Lynn's relief, Lily was not in there. This is because Rita had taken her out today to distract each other from the tragedy that plagued the family.

Lynn walked carefully into the room towards the desk that had various test tubes, beakers, and flasks on it. While she stared aimlessly at the equipment in front of her, she began to have an unusual sensation in the pit of her stomach. She felt like she needed to vomit, but at the same time, nothing came up. Despite the beakers being completely empty, Lynn could also hear liquid bubbling so loudly that it echoed inside her eardrums. Between the sound of nonexistent liquid bubbling and her stomach feeling very queasy, Lynn gripped the sides of the desk tightly with her sweaty hands; her knuckles becoming white from the tight grip. She could no longer stand straight and her shoulders slumped forward.

The only sounds that Lynn could make right now were hyperventilation and gulping. She wanted to stop herself from puking all over the place because the last thing she needed was to have her deceased sister's belongings to be covered in vomit. As her vision started to become warped and blurred in her panicked state, Lynn failed to notice any of her surroundings, therefore she didn't know that someone had entered the room and was approaching her.

Lynn's panic attack was only heightened when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey," A raspy voice said.

"Ahhh!" Lynn howled as her grip on the desk tightened harder to the point that her palms and fingers were hurting.

"Woah dude, it's just me," the voice was revealed to be Luna. When Lynn turned around to see her older sister standing there, she took another hard swallow, with her throat being incredibly dry.

Luna took notice of Lynn's pale, sweat drenched face and immediately noticed that something was greatly amiss.

"Lynn, what's wrong?" Luna wonders in concern.

Lynn pants for a while before answering, "I…I just had a panic attack."

"What? Why?" Luna asks with curiosity in her eyes.

The reason behind Lynn's panic attack was so awful that her feelings of fear and uncertainty started anew. She started sweating again and she put a hand on her chest to feel her heartbeat.

"I did something wrong. Very, very wrong. And…and I need to tell somebody," Lynn groaned.

"Sure, I'm all ears LJ," Luna encourages. The two of them sit down on Lisa's bed.

"Ok. (Deep breath) Do you remember a few weeks before Lisa went to the institute, she melted one of my soccer trophies?"

* * *

 **Flashback to one and a half weeks ago**

 _The smell of smoke emitting from Lisa and Lily's bedroom immediately caught the attention of everyone in the Loud house; as such all who was present rushed into the room._

 _When Rita and Lynn Sr opened the door, with a fire extinguisher clutched tightly in the latter's hand, they were met with a rather unusual sight. Lily's crib, with her inside, was encased in what appeared to be a plastic chamber with various airholes around it so she can still breathe while staying safe from what Lisa was doing._

 _Speaking of Lisa, she was currently sitting on a stool in front of her desk while wearing a safety mask over her face and holding a large metal trophy in one hand and a blowtorch in the other hand. Lisa was using the blowtorch on the trophy to melt it into a red-hot gooey mess that was poured into a steel bucket underneath the stool._

 _Normally this was the point where Rita and Lynn Sr would berate their daughter; especially since she was handling such a dangerous device doing God knows what. However, they were frozen; not just because they were dumbfounded by what she was doing, but because they knew the owner of that trophy was not a gonna be happy about Lisa destroying it._

" _Outta my way, move it," A voice urged as Rita and Lynn Sr felt someone try to squeeze through. The voice of course belonged to Lynn Jr who inched her way into the room._

 _As she watched the last remaining portion of her beloved trophy, which was the name plaque, melt into goo, Lynn's eyes widened to the size of saucers._

" _Yahhhhh!" Lynn screamed._

 _Lynn's howl of despair caught the attention of Lisa; making her turn off her blowtorch and lift up her mask. She turns to face her family._

" _Greetings fifth eldest sister and parental units," Lisa greeted. As was often the case when Lisa does undesirable things, she was unfazed by her parents' and siblings' reactions._

" _What do you think you're doing?!" Rita questions in a worried tone._

" _I'm glad you asked," Lisa states, "I am testing the viscosity of various materials to measure whether or not they can be used as a substitute adhesive."_

 _Lynn wasn't listening to a single word her little sister was saying because she was fuming over a precious item of hers being destroyed._

" _That was MINE you little brat!" Lynn growled._

 _Lisa's face became rightfully nervous at seeing her sister's face redden._

" _About that…I needed aurum number 79; street name: gold, as part of my experiment."_

" _That can't be replaced Lisa! I can't just go to my coach and ask for another one! You had NO business touching my stuff ESPECIALLY without my permission! I…I hate you!" With that, Lynn stormed away and her footsteps practically shook the foundation of the Loud house._

 _As the remaining siblings disperse, Rita walks up to Lisa and removes the blowtorch from her daughter's hand._

" _That's it, you're NEVER using this again and you're grounded for 5 days," Rita berated._

 _Shortly after Rita and Lynn Sr left Lisa and Lily alone, Lynn came back into the room. She pointed her fist at Lisa._

" _By the way, science is gonna kill you someday!" She hissed as she slammed the door shut._

 **End flashback**

* * *

"You told her _WHAT!_ " Luna cried in disbelief.

Lynn currently had her knees pulled close to her chest, was biting her bottom lip, and was visibly shaking.

"S-science is gonna kill her someday," Lynn repeated her harsh statement with a noticeable shiver in her voice.

" _Lynn!_ You can't say things like that! What's the matter with you?!" Luna scolded.

Tears fill Lynn's eyes, "I was just mad at her. I didn't really mean it."

"Whether you were mad at her or not, wishing death upon your own sister is wrong!" Luna yelled.

Tears were now running down her cheeks, but she needed to clarify what her statement meant.

"Now hang on a minute," Lynn said, "I did not _wish death_ upon her! I just said that science is _going to_ kill her. If I wished death on her, I would've said…" Lynn paused as she squeezed her eyes shut and allowed the tears to freely flow down her cheeks.

"I didn't want her to die," Lynn whispers, "Now I'm sorry those were my last words to her."

With that, Lynn's words were replaced with sobs and she hid her face in her knees. As Luna looks at her crying sister, her previous anger was turned to sympathy. Then she began to realize that her own relationship with Lisa wasn't that great either.

"You know Lynn…sometimes I wish Lis and I had a better relationship," Luna sighs.

Lynn's glossy eyes look up at her sister as she starts sniffling.

"(Sniff) What're you talking about? I think you two get along fine," Lynn says, "Remember that one time you had doubts about what you wanted to do with your life and she suggested you take a more (air quotes) _practical approach?_ "

Luna nodded, "Yes, but the practical approach didn't work for me and I realized that music was my true passion."

" _But_ had she not suggested that, you probably would've just moped around all day. She saw that you were distressed and she offered advice," Lynn continued.

Luna tapped her chin with her finger and grinned at that memory, "Now that I think of it, you have a point. She didn't _have_ to help me; she even said that she doesn't normally _acknowledge_ _human emotions_ , but she still insisted on listening to my problems."

Lynn grinned, "There, see? You got along fine."

However, Luna's smile turned into a frown and her lips started quivering. Before Lynn can ask her what's wrong, Luna stares off into the distance as she talks to Lynn.

"That was just a one-time thing though," Luna lamented, a slight whimper creeping into her voice.

"There have been quite a few times where we actually _didn't_ get along. Like remember that time Lincoln suggested we switch roommates and I got paired with Lis? Well when a sweet riff of mine accidentally caused an explosion, I told her…" Luna's recollection was interrupted when tears gradually flowed down her eyes and a small hiccup escaped from her mouth.

"I told her to watch her attitude cause no one tells me how to shred," Luna took her hand and closed her mouth as she started crying for real. Lynn gave her sister a sympathetic look.

"Also, this is mostly my fault, but I ruined her first opera by stage diving into the orchestra pit. I didn't think it was a big deal at the time, but man she must've been so mad at me," Luna sighed.

"I remember her telling Lincoln that story so he wouldn't tell you about his first concert," Lynn reminisces.

Luna's eyes once again fill with tears and her eyes squeeze shut as miniature streams flow softly down her cheeks, "A couple April Fool's back, she wouldn't let me hide in her secret bunker."

As she remembered Lisa telling her that she should have been more prepared, the memory of her little sister rejecting her like that made the young rocker burst into tears and cry harder than she ever has since the funeral. While remaining on the bed, Luna sat on her knees and threw her head back towards the ceiling.

"PLEASE! GIVE ME SHELTER!" Luna screamed in despair the same line she used to beg Lisa for mercy that fateful day.

After that, Luna slammed her head down on the pillow and sobbed away, desperately missing Lisa. Lynn, with all the sympathy in the world, gently rubbed Luna's back. As she was comforting her sister, Lynn stared at Lisa's various science equipment with tears in her eyes.

"Why couldn't she get to know you better?" Lynn whispered.

* * *

Right then and there, Lori peeked her head inside the room. She knew exactly why Luna and Lynn were crying, but her big sister instinct kicked in and it told her she needed to investigate further. She snuck towards the bed and looked at her grief-stricken sisters.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" Lori asks in a soft tone.

Lynn looked up at Lori with glossy eyes and Luna's head shot up from the pillow with her eyes bloodshot.

"We were just (sniff) remembering Lisa," Luna sniffled.

"Sadly, we were mostly remembering the bad stuff," Lynn sighed.

"What bad stuff?" Lori questions.

Luna hid her face in the pillow, indicating that Lynn should go first. As much as she hated to repeat the memory of her predicting Lisa's death, she had to explain it since Lori wanted to know.

"Like I remember telling her…that…s-science was gonna…kill her someday," Lynn's tears started anew.

Normally hearing a statement like that would cause Lori to be angry and yell at Lynn. However, after seeing Lynn's glossy eyes, she knew that yelling wasn't the best option and that dealing with such a painful memory was most likely punishment enough. Therefore, Lori let it slide.

Her focus shifted to Luna desperately clinging onto the pillow, "Luna? You Ok?"

Luna could not speak very loudly, so instead all of her dialogue was replaced with whispers and sniffles in between her whispers.

"I just wish…(sniff) that Lis and I had a better relationship. And…(sniff) and now that she's gone, I'll never be able to…(sniff, sob) make amends with her," Luna cried.

Luna and Lynn's memories made a strong case that all they needed to do was make amends for any mistakes and wrongs they have done. This gives Lori an idea about how they will be able to do that.

"Have you guys ever heard of bargaining?" Lori asks.

The two crying brunettes look at each other and then back at Lori while shaking their heads no.

Lori sits down on the bed and looks both her crying sisters in the eye, "Bargaining is one of the five stages of grief. It's when you try to make the pain go away by basically making a promise to God. Even though Lisa can't come back from the dead, your bargain with God can help her loss not be so hurtful. Your promise doesn't have to be overly complex either. As long as you feel in your heart that you can do it, that's all that matters."

Bargaining definitely seems like a good idea, so Luna and Lynn agree to pray together. But they need privacy in order to do so since this is _their_ bargain to God and no one else's.

"Lori, can we be alone please?" Luna begs.

Without a word, Lori nods her head and leaves the room, closing the door behind her. Once she was gone, Luna and Lynn both make their way towards Lisa's window and get on their knees. Like with any prayer, the first thing they do is simultaneously make the sign of the cross.

"Our Father who art in Heaven

Hallowed be thy name

Thy kingdom come

Thy will be done

On Earth as it is in Heaven

Give us this day our daily bread

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive those who trespass against us

And lead us not into temptation

But deliver us from evil

Amen"

Since Luna is the oldest, she goes first. She puts her hands together and faces the sky, keeping her focus up in heaven.

"God, hear my prayer. In exchange for my little sis' life, I would like to make a deal with you. I promise to spend as much time with my little sisters as possible. Lucy, Lana, Lola, and of course little Lilster mean so much to me right now. And after what happened, they could be gone at a moment's notice. God, I can't make the same mistake with Lisa and leave my younger sisters hating me…" Tears started anew inside Luna's eyes, "Lord, give me strength to have a closer connection to the kiddos. Amen."

After doing the sign of the cross one last time, Luna gets up and walks away from the window, allowing Lynn to make her bargain next.

Just like her sister, Lynn looked up towards heaven, "God, if you really are God, hear my prayer. My bargain may not be as strong as Luna's, but I do have a special promise I'd like to keep. After what happened, I realized that death is a subject matter that's not to joke about; especially since something terrible can happen when I least expect it. So, I promise not to use the words 'kill', 'death', 'dying', and 'die', in a figurative sense. If I accidentally slip up, I hope you know that I don't mean the things I say. Amen."

Lynn did the sign of the cross one final time and joined her sister on the bed.

"Dude, what's your bargain mean?" Luna wonders.

"You know how sometimes we say things like 'this is killing me', or 'I'm dying', or even 'I wanna die'? Well since that got me in huge trouble before, I don't wanna say that anymore. If the rest of you don't follow that, then I won't hold it against you. This is my bargain specifically," Lynn explains.

"Wow Sis, I'm proud of you," Luna says.

"I have something to say regarding your bargain though," Lynn critiques, "While I do understand your desire to be closer to our younger sisters…shouldn't you have a closer connection to _all_ of us?"

Luna's eyes widen as she realizes that she has overlooked 5 of her siblings and that she should promise the man upstairs that she loves all her siblings besides her younger ones.

Luna rushes towards the window and gets on her knees to change her bargain, "God, in regards to my promise, I wanna change it. I promise a closer connection to all ten…er, nine of my siblings. With all due respect, I don't want you to take away Linc or any of my other sisters; so, if I promise a closer connection to everyone, please spare their lives. Amen."

After Luna does the sign of the cross again, indicating that her bargain is a done deal, she sits on the bed. Feeling grateful for Luna's updated promise, Lynn wrapped her arms around Luna's stomach and smiled as tears gently flowed down her cheeks. Luna naturally returns the hug.

* * *

Suddenly Rita opened the bedroom door and stepped inside. Lily's lavender diaper bag was draped over her shoulder and a drowsy Lily was securely in her arms. It was clear that she desperately needed a nap because she seemed to barely be able to stay awake. The two freckled brunettes look up at their mother. Luna in particular seemed to be happy to see little Lily.

"Girls? I hate to make you leave, but Lily really needs her nap," Rita says.

Luna gives a small smile, "Oh no prob, Ma. I can just chill in here and watch Lilster while she rests her little head."

Rita raises an eyebrow, "Surely you don't want to stay quiet for an extended period of time. Why would you want to watch her nap?"

Luna's smile instantly fades and she gives her mother pleading eyes, "I bargained with God today; after Lisa's death, I promised a closer connection to all my siblings."

Rita finally understands, and gives her third oldest daughter a look of sympathy, "I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I think Lily's naptime is the one exception you can have for not bothering her. After all, she needs a lot of sleep for her growing body, and this is the one time where she should be left alone."

Luna nods, "I understand Ma. I can always keep my promise any other time."

Rita gently places the baby in her crib and drapes her lavender blanket over her small body. Everyone in the room listened to the cute little snores that Lily made and smiled.

Once Rita dropped the diaper bag, she was about to leave the room. However, she was stopped when the bottom of her feet started hurting. She lifted one of her feet ever so slightly and gently rubbed her heel.

"Ugh, we've been out and about all day. My feet are killing me," Rita groans.

Remember her own bargain, Lynn placed her hand on Rita's arm, "Mom, you shouldn't say that," She panics.

Rita once again raises her eyebrow, "What's the matter? What shouldn't I say?" She questions.

"The word 'killing'," Lynn answers.

Rita is still confused, "What's wrong with the word 'killing'? It's not a curse word."

To Rita it wasn't a curse word, but to Lynn it was a different kind of curse word; one that gave her an ugly _cursed_ feeling whenever she heard it. Now was the time for Lynn to tell her mother the truth, confess the ultimate wrong she has done.

"Mom…when Lisa was still alive…um, do you remember that one day she melted one of my soccer trophies?" Lynn stuttered.

Knowing that her daughter needed her now, Rita joined Lynn and Luna on the bed. Or rather, Luna got off the bed so that Rita can sit down; since Lisa's bed was only large enough to fit two people at the most.

"Yes, I remember that day. You were pretty angry," Rita wrapped her arm around her athletic daughter.

"Yes. I was so angry that…I said something that I shouldn't have," Lynn squeaked.

One look into her mother's eyes made Lynn feel sick and saddened by having to repeat her terrible statement she gave her little sister before she died.

"I told her that…science was going to kill her," Tears once again leaked out of Lynn's eyes.

Before Rita could react, Lynn tightly wrapped her arms around Rita's waist and started bawling. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to tell her she was gonna be killed. (sob) I didn't mean it! Please don't be mad, (sniff) I'm guilty enough as is. Mommy! (sob, sniff)."

Lynn almost never says the word "mommy", so this must be serious. Of course, being the kind, understanding mother she is, Rita gently rubbed her crying daughter's back.

"Shh, it's Ok baby, I'm not mad," Rita comforted softly.

Since Lynn was too busy crying, it was Luna's duty to explain to her mother about Lynn's bargain.

"Because of what happened, she made a promise to God that she would never use 'kill' and 'death' or any other variations in a figurative sense. She doesn't want to accidentally predict someone else's death," Luna explains.

"(sniff) Why did she have to die?" Lynn whispered.

In any other circumstance, this would be the point where Rita would reassure Lynn that Lisa's death was an unfortunate coincidence and she had nothing to do with it. But Lynn didn't need to hear that now; instead she needed help and support to fulfill her bargain. Rita gently rubbed her crying daughter's shoulders.

"Don't worry honey, I'll help you through this," Rita whispers gently. She uses her hand to lift up Lynn's head, "Do you want me to tell everyone else about this?"

Lynn looked up at her mother with glossy eyes and nodded her head. She felt much better now that she let it all out and hear mommy was there to love her.

"Now is the time for us to leave," Rita whispers as she points to the crib that has a sleeping baby in it.

Everyone tiptoed out the door and gently closed it. Once they were out of the room, they all parted ways, ready to keep their promises to the good Lord.


	5. Lucy's Breakdown

**Sunday April 22, 2018: Five days after Lisa's death**

The following day, Luna walks Lucy down to the Spokes house. Luna has a grin on her face and feels optimistic curiosity at seeing her sister's love interest's house for the first time. Lucy, on the other hand, keeps her head down and feels sluggish hopelessness that not even getting out of the house can uplift.

Luna takes notice of Lucy's demeanor and decides to lighten the mood a little. "I know you're still sad about our loss, Sis. But, visiting your little _boyfriend_ just might help you out a little." She adds a little wink to her last statement.

Lucy had not seen Rocky since Lisa was still alive; and needless to say, the tone of her visit will be vastly different because of that. This is the first time something had truly gone wrong since she has known him, so she wasn't sure how he was going to react hearing such devastating news. On the other hand, Rocky seems like an ideal candidate to comfort Lucy in her time of need, given his kind and understanding nature. Hiding a life changing tragedy from a person that she deeply cares about seems rather illogical now that she thought hard about it.

Lucy raises her head up ever so slightly and faces Luna, "I think you're right."

It only takes them a few minutes to get to their destination; to Luna, it was a quaint little house and to Lucy, it was practically a second home.

"Ok, when you're ready to come home, just call me and I'll come pick you up," Luna says.

Lucy keeps her eyes fixated on the Spokes house, "Thank you, but that won't be necessary. I could just walk home by myself."

Luna's facial expression drastically changes from that of happiness to concern. She clamps her hand down on Lucy's shoulder, causing the young goth to look up at her sister.

Luna shakes her head, "No Lucy, we talked about my bargain."

Although her eyes cannot be seen, a look of guilt took over Lucy's face. She didn't want to deny her big sister time to spend with her, no matter how miniscule. "Oh goodness, I'm sorry. Ok, I'll call you." Lucy sighs.

Luna and Lucy lovingly embrace one final time before Luna walks away. Lucy looks up at the house that belongs to her true love and slowly treads towards it. She gives a gentle knock and waits patiently for someone to answer.

Rocky opens the door and immediately smiles at Lucy, "Hi! It's been a while since I've seen you. How've you been?"

On a normal day, Rocky's cheerful demeanor is enough to turn Lucy's frown upside down. However, today, it actually had the _opposite_ effect; it was strangely more disheartening to see him so happy while she was facing such a devastation in her life.

Trying hard not to cry, Lucy remains silent as she steps inside the house and immediately makes her way through the living room and down the hall towards Rocky's bedroom. Rocky knows right away something is wrong because she didn't even look him in the eye when she arrived. He follows his girlfriend as he passes Rusty sitting silently on the couch. Rusty already knows what's going on, but per Lincoln's request and out of respect for his future sister in law, Rusty decides not to mention the recently deceased.

After Lucy reaches the solitude of Rocky's bedroom, she sits down cross-legged on his bed, tenderly rests her elbows on her lap, and cups both her hands on both her cheeks. She lets out a deep sigh as her head hangs low. Meanwhile, Rocky stands in the doorway and watches his girlfriend looking so sad. It hurts him to see Lucy like this; and he knows in his heart that his beloved needs him now. So, with a deep breath, he closes the door behind him, leaving the two of them alone. He slowly walks towards the bed and sits down next to her; looking at her with concern over her seemingly distant state of being.

"Lucy…there's something wrong, isn't there?" Rocky whispers.

Lucy freezes. She did not want to retell the tragedy that happened 5 years earlier because she feels she's doing so well coping with the loss. In an effort to bury her pain, Lucy scoots away from Rocky and hides her face by turning her head to the right and covering her eyes with her hands.

Normally, Rocky doesn't like to pry when it comes to finding out what's wrong with someone who clearly doesn't want to talk about it. But, in this case, he wanted to make an exception; so, he took a more gentle approach. Rocky moves closer to Lucy and tenderly places both his hands on both her shoulders.

"It's Ok my love," Rocky whispers tenderly. "You can tell me anything and I'll understand." He smiles as he looks at her.

This was the first time he called her "my love"; and as such, even in her moment of grief, she felt a small glimmer of hope in her heart. On top of that, his reassurance that he'll understand anything she tells him gives her the courage to confide in him.

Lucy looks over at him, her eyes glistening from the tears she was trying to keep in her eyes instead of having them flow down her cheeks.

"You know my little sister Lisa, right?" Lucy mumbles.

Rocky knows Lisa quite well, on account of interacting with her on several occasions, so he gave a small smirk and nods, "Of course."

After Lucy's lips slightly quiver, that gives Rocky a clue that something must've happened with Lisa. His smirk instantly fades and he tilts his head in curiosity. "Is she alright?"

This was the moment of truth. Dare she relive the pain of a four-year-old girl leaving this world? As her stomach began jumping and her throat became dry, Lucy looked Rocky deep in the eyes. The genuine sincerity in Rocky's eyes convinced Lucy that she should _definitely_ tell her beloved what happened; no matter how much it hurts.

One hard swallow and one deep breath later, Lucy turns towards Rocky as a tear softly trickles down from her eye.

"Lisa…is in Heaven, Rocky." Lucy whispers.

It seems as if time stops; which, for Lucy, is an experience she is a little too familiar with. For Rocky, it is a surreal and even kind of scary experience. Once the news truly occurs to him, Rocky's eyes widen and his face grew slightly pale. His mouth slightly hangs open for a second, as if to gasp, but no sound came out. He closes his mouth and his lips quiver in disbelief. Although he did not know Lisa that well, he had grown fond of her and could not believe she was gone; she didn't seem sick the last time he had seen her.

Despite being in shock, Rocky knows that he needs to comfort Lucy while she is grieving, so he grabs her hands and squeezes them. "Do you want to tell me what happened? You don't have to if you don't want to." He whispers.

While more tears emerged from Lucy's eyes, Rocky gently places his right hand on Lucy's left shoulder and uses his left thumb to wipe away her tears. He wishes he had some tissues, but he couldn't leave her to go get some.

When she finds her voice again, Lucy tells the story. "Do you remember when I told you she went away to that science institute?" She asks.

"Oh yeah, you said your whole family missed her," Rocky recalls.

"Well…" Lucy pauses for a moment to allow more tears to escape her eyes. "There was a fire at the institute, and…she didn't make it."

Rocky gasps as she wraps his arms over both of Lucy's shoulders in a hug, "Oh Lucy, I'm so sorry for your loss. That sounds like such a scary way to go."

She grips the collar of his shirt, "We saw her in the hospital and they had an open casket. Oh Rocky, she looked _terrible!_ "

Lucy sobs heavily as she buries her face in Rocky's chest while wrapping her arms around his waist in a tight hug. Her nose also begins to run, but due to lack of tissues, she just sniffles.

As Rocky rubs Lucy's shoulders in a circular motion while comforting her, his heart breaks over her state of sorrow; so much so that his own eyes start to fill with tears. He can empathize with losing a loved one very much, since he lost someone very special to him not too long ago.

"I know exactly how you feel Lucy," Rocky begins, "I felt the same way when my grandma died; so lost and alone without her, just as you do for Lisa. One minute they're alive and well, but the next, they're gone. However, both my grandma and your sister are in Heaven; so that's good, isn't it?"

Lucy's reaction to Rocky expressing his empathy is the exact opposite of what he expects. Instead of saying "thank you" or reminiscing about Rocky's deceased grandmother with him; she instead shoots her head up from his chest, gets off the bed, and stands in front of him. Her bloodshot eyes give him a look of anger, despite being concealed.

"It's not the same thing Rocky!" Lucy screams, making Rocky's eyes widen in surprise and fear. Why is she mad all of a sudden?

Lucy clenches her fists and her teeth in anger as she continues to berate him. "Your grandmother was already _old_ when she died! She was in her mid-80's; at mid-80, it's time to go! She has already lived her life!"

"Lisa was _just a kid_ when she died! She was only on this planet for 4 years before God took her away! Unlike your grandmother, she _didn't_ get to live her life!" Lucy berates.

She began to breathe heavily as her emotions rapidly shift from rage to heartbreak. She covers her eyes with her hands while she bares her teeth. The tears start anew as she mourns once again. "She's _gone_ Rocky! You can't possibly understand what it means to have a younger sibling be erased when she hasn't even reached the double digits yet. Having a child die is sadder than…an _elderly person_ dying!"

Lucy breaks down much harder and more intense than she has that entire day. Rivers of tears burst within both her eyes as her sobs echo through the thin walls of the bedroom. After she sits cross-legged on the bed, facing _away_ from Rocky with her back towards him, she reaches for the pillow. Giving a loud grunt, Lucy punches the surface of the pillow with her fist before burying her face in it.

Meanwhile, Rocky stares at Lucy completely dumbfounded. As he replays Lucy's speech in his head, he began to realize…his grandmother's death and Lisa's death are actually _not_ the same thing. Beyond the massive age difference, the conditions of how they died made one seem much more tragic than the other. Not only that, one was surrounded by family while the other had no one around to save her.

All of these factors made Rocky feel significant amounts of guilt over comparing his grandmother's death to Lisa's. While looking at Lucy and hearing her sobs, his eyes glisten as tears start to fill in them. To show that he's sorry for unintentionally being insensitive, Rocky's scoots towards Lucy and he gently places a hand on her back.

"Lucy?" Rocky acknowledges.

Lucy lifts her head up from the pillow, which is damp with her tears and snot, and glances at Rocky. Although the volume of her sobs diminishes, she chokes out one more as she wipes her nose with her hand.

"Come here," Rocky whispers as he opens his arms. Just like before, she hugs him tightly and lies her head on his chest. Rocky gently strokes Lucy's hair as he holds her in his arms.

While Lucy's tears and snot dampen his shirt, Rocky realizes that he needs to be honest with her about whatever he's feeling, and something in her speech hurt him. Rocky places his hand on Lucy's cheek and lifts her head up from his chest so they are facing each other.

"As much as I hate to admit it, you hurt my feelings when you basically said that old people deserve to die more than children," Rocky says in a soft yet stern tone.

Lucy tightly grips the collar of her dress. "Oh, Rocky Bear…I'm so sorry I said that. I mean absolutely _no_ disrespect to your sweet grandmother. Death is tragic no matter what the age of the person is. I guess…I guess I'm just mad at God right now," She sniffled.

Rocky nods. "Lucy…when I heard the news that my grandmother's illness was going to claim her life…I got mad at God too. I cried and cried while wondering why God allowed this to happen."

Slowly, he wipes Lucy's tears with his hand, and he gives a tiny smile. "When I saw just how sickly and terrible she looked, I knew in my heart that she was suffering and it was her time. If you recall what I told you, I was the last person she saw and talked to, so it was like God was giving us a final chance to say goodbye."

Lucy thinks long and hard about Lisa's final physical appearance; and she starts to imagine the horrific circumstances that led to her looking like she did. Lisa experienced torment and distress in that fire; so much so that it musts have been like Hell on Earth for the poor thing. Next, Lucy remembers the service in which Father Hatfield said that Lisa is in a better world and she can forever live with a sense of peace. So, she begins to smile.

"That's my girl," Rocky sighs as he gently strokes Lucy's cheek.

"I feel…much better now," she sighs, "Thank you Rocky."

"Of course. After all, it's only fair that I return the favor," He says.

Lucy tilts her head in confusion, "Return the favor?"

Rocky's grin grows bigger. "Yeah. Remember how you helped me when I grieved for my grandma? Let me tell ya, talking to you _really_ helped me. Every time I dialed your number and eagerly waited for you to answer, my heart gained a glimmer of hope. You were there for me, Lucy. Now that you're going through a hard time right now, I want to be here for you too."

Lucy's previously broken heart begins to heal itself upon learning that Rocky wishes to be her guide in this tumultuous time. Since he has both his hands cupped on both her cheeks, she places her left hand on top of his right hand.

"It will be better for us because instead of being several states and hundreds of miles away from each other, I'm just a couple blocks and a 20 minute walk away," Rocky continues, "So if there's _anything_ you need; whether it be a phone call, a text, or even a visit, I'll be here for you."

Lucy is so overcome with happiness, that she smiles and puts her hand on Rocky's cheek. "Oh Rocky, what did I ever do to deserve you?"

He squeezes her hand that is on his face. "I ask myself the very same question."

"So, now that you're here, is there anything you'd like to do?" He gently strokes her hair.

Lucy could not bare the thought of leaving her beloved when he has gone out of his way to cheer her up in this time. So, she asks a question that normally wouldn't fly on any other day.

"Rocky, do you think…I could spend the night?" She asks.

Normally, Lucy isn't allowed to sleep at Rocky's house when the following day is a school day; on account of getting up and ready for school can be very hectic. However, Rocky could _not_ abandon his beloved during her time of need. So, he decides to oblige; and if his father has a problem with it, then the two of them will have a long talk.

"Sure, you can, love," Rocky obliges.

"Thank you, my dear," Lucy whispers as she wraps her arms around him and gently plants a kiss on his cheek.

Rocky reaches inside his shirt collar and removes an object from around his neck. The object in question is the green scapular with a picture of the Virgin Mary on it; it is a gift that Lucy gave Rocky when his grandma died as a way to show that she's sorry for his loss. **(A/N: A scapular is an object that is worn around the neck. It contains two pieces of cloth attached to both sides of a string. The pieces of cloth usually contain pictures of religious figures like saints.)**

Before he could place it around Lucy's neck, she holds her hand up to stop him. "No, I couldn't. Not your scapular, it's _yours._ "

Rocky smirks and shakes his head, "Just…wear it tonight. Then, you can give it back to me in the morning." He puts the scapular around her neck, causing her to smile while holding the cloth that had the Virgin Mary on it.

She takes her phone out of her pocket. "I'm just gonna call Luna and tell her that I'm gonna spend the night."

While Lucy dials her big sister's number and proceeds to place the phone next to her ear, Rocky gently massages her shoulders and kisses the top of her head.


End file.
